Forget point A to point B: Internet-powered maps are moving from simple driving directions to richly layered landscapes of living, breathing information.
Along with questions about money come questions about control. "Throughout history, the guy who controlled the map was the boss," says John Metcalf, the former CMO at mapmaker Tele Atlas, who's currently a consultant to Silicon Valley VCs. Opening the door to all of those user-contributed reviews, ratings, and comments puts the customers in charge. But that raises the prospect of unhappy sponsors and other users, because neither can control what's said about them.
Nevertheless, the industry is currently favoring more collaboration with its customers. After all, companies can't predict everything people will want, and user-created content gives them more to sell. "We are definitely encouraging users to customize their content and share their experiences," says Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom USA. "It's the mark of a healthy community. We don't need to be in control of everything."
Whether user-generated or not, map apps are rapidly evolving from novelty to necessity. "You don't just want to find a 7-Eleven," says Metcalf, "you want to find one that carries your brand of toothpaste and that's open right now." The future is ours for the mapping.
Lucas Conley (lconley@fastcompany.com) is a Fast Company staff writer.
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Recent Comments | 5 Total
September 4, 2009 at 12:18pm by T Sweets
Thank goodness for mapquest.What would most of us do without it. Locksmiths
September 25, 2009 at 1:38pm by Christopher Jeschke
Very nice post. Very insightfull.
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